


i want to walk this road with you

by 20cm



Category: TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crush at First Sight, Cute, Fluff, Love at First Sight, M/M, Young Love, beombin, bingyu, musician beomgyu, soft, soobeom, soogyu, writer soobin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2019-12-27 02:05:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18294653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/20cm/pseuds/20cm
Summary: Soobin has never run out of words, even when he's stuck with the wrong ones, and Beomgyu only really cares about making music, and sometimes, maybe his bandmates.Like all love stories, everything changes when they meet, in a French café in the beginning of spring.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello! it's been a while... i'm in no place to start a new multiple-chaptered fic, but i just couldn't resist writing one for soogyu ><
> 
> i hope you like it, and i hope soogyu nation continues to grow and receive a love of love^^

Soobin has always been good with words.

 

Growing up, everyone could see that his writing was years ahead others his age, a result of his with advanced level of maturity mixed with the tendency to put his feelings in writing that came from being so shy. His affinity for language only grew more and more intense, and before long, he grew to love writing.

 

Even so, as good as he was with words, Soobin often struggled to find the exact, right ones to use sometimes. Other times, he somehow manages to say something that doesn’t quite come out the way he intended. Those are the times that make him want to bury himself deep in his blankets when he remembers them, and hide away from the world with his dog, Sean.

 

Conversations were just difficult for Soobin at times, particularly with people, because there’s too many things running through his mind all at the same time. There’s a lot to consider—is his body language open enough? Is his intruding on their time? What if they would prefer to be alone, but they’re tolerating his presence just to be nice? Sometimes, Soobin’s mind just runs a million times faster than his mouth, and more often than not, he would look back at things and think, “I should’ve said it like this instead.”

 

Writing was different. Sure, it could be just as frustrating at times, even more when writer’s block kicks in, but there wasn’t the same sense of urgency. With writing, you can take your time to think of how to talk about your day, or how to crack a silly joke, or how to describe the impossibly beautiful golden flecks in someone’s eyes. Soobin appreciated that about writing, along with how it made him practice being less awkward and less shy in social situations. Even if his works never got to see the light of day, he was thankful enough that there was a way for him to put his words together.

 

Still, as much as he occasionally struggles with casual conversation, words are one of Soobin’s strengths. When it comes down to it, he knows exactly how to make a story develop the way he wants it to, and maybe that’s all that really matters to him. As long as his thoughts and words don’t falter when he needs them most, he can live with getting tongue-tied every now and then.

 

At least, that was what he thought—until he met Beomgyu.

 

It was a rainy day in spring when they first met. Soobin had ducked into the nearest café to seek shelter from the rain as it started falling faster, and if there’s one thing he disliked more than rain, it was getting _caught_ in the rain. He didn’t recall ever setting foot inside the quaint little café before then, but when he did, he was greeted by the sweet scent of vanilla, enveloping him in a warm hug and ultimately persuading him to stay and write there instead of at his usual place a few blocks away.

 

“I’ll have a classic hot chocolate,” Soobin ordered, something to keep him warm in the cool weather. He was amused to find the tiniest little marshmallows floating at the top, decorating the comforting and inviting drink. After instinctively prodding a few and watching them dip into the rich cocoa, he found the perfect place to sit and work on his headache-slash-story—a cozy-looking armchair in the corner of the café, a little bit further away from where the buzz was, but that’s how Soobin preferred it. His seat of choice gave him a nice view of the rest of the café, including the small platform called a stage on the other side.

 

The staff were noticeably anxious, or at the very least a bit uneasy, stealing a few glances every now and then between that small stage and the glass door. Soobin was starting to get a little curious as to why, when the door swung open, and in walked a few cool-looking guys—one of whom looked like he could be the most beautiful person Soobin had ever seen.

 

“Sorry for being late,” Soobin overheard. He could barely make it, but the café wasn’t so big that he had to strain himself to hear it clearly. The boy who had said the words was the one that had caught Soobin’s eye. He had a little lisp, just like Soobin, and for the first time in his life, Soobin understood why so many people had called his own lisp cute.

 

Soobin watched intently, and perhaps a bit too obviously, as the boy set up his equipment, taking a few sips of his hot chocolate every now and then. He watched as the boy pulled his acoustic guitar into his lap, and when he started to sing, Soobin felt himself become undeniably drawn towards him.

 

Maybe it was the warm and inviting atmosphere of the café, or the relaxing sound of the guitar as it filled its space, (or, maybe, it was the guy with the guitar) but Soobin suddenly felt brave. This wasn’t exactly the most common adjective used to describe him—not that he’s scared all the time, but he _is_ usually shy, especially in new places and with new people. He was painfully aware of this, even as he tried to casually make his way across the room, to the guitar boy who was ordering an iced caramel macchiato despite the weather.

 

“Hi,” Soobin said to the chestnut-haired boy. “I’m Soobin—I really liked your set just now. You guys sound really great.”

 

“Thank you,” the boy replied, flashing a sweet smile that made Soobin’s heart beat a thousand times faster than usual, as if his hot chocolate had been filled with 4 shots of espresso instead. “I’m Beomgyu.”

 

“Beomgyu,” Soobin repeated carefully, taking note of how he felt as he said it; blush creeping up his cheeks when he realized that he wanted to call Beomgyu’s name again and again.

 

“I would love to stay and chat,“ Beomgyu told Soobin. “But I have another set to play, so I kinda have to go now,” he continued, gesturing to the stage behind him, and the guys who were waiting for him. It poked a little hole in Soobin’s little heart. _I guess he doesn’t want to talk to me—he’s just being nice, that’s all. It’s alright, Soobin, it’s okay, really, it’s not—_

 

“Hey,” Beomgyu called out after Soobin’s rushed _Ohthat’sfineItotallyunderstand,_ prompting him to turn back around. “If you’re willing to stay a little longer after the whole live music session, I can buy you a coffee and we can get to know each other.”

 

All of a sudden, all his worries went flying straight out of his head again, and Soobin agreed almost instantly. “Alright then, talk to you later,” Beomgyu said, another bright and sweet smile on his face, another arrow straight through Soobin’s heart.

 

Beomgyu was talented, no doubt, but you could tell how hard he worked and how passionate he was just by watching him perform. His bandmates were good, too, but there was something absolutely captivating, almost entrancing, in the way Beomgyu plays his guitar and how he sings. Soobin, who was typically easily spell-bound and had been watching them perform with a keen eye, felt himself spiral deeper into his crush. It was nothing new for butterflies to fill his stomach over a stranger, but gosh, did he wish the stranger wouldn’t make it so easy for those butterflies.

 

By the time Beomgyu was done with his set, Soobin was scrambling to commit his silky voice to memory, desperate to keep it engraved into his mind, and he felt as if there was no escaping the crush he developed on Beomgyu. Granted, Soobin was overdramatic at times, but his feelings were still his feelings, and there was no denying that he had developed some for Beomgyu.

 

“So, how about that coffee?” Beomgyu asked after packing up and waving goodbye to his friends.

 

“Oh, I don’t actually drink coffee all that much,” Soobin answered sheepishly, prompting Beomgyu to raise his eyebrows. “I’ll just have a hot chocolate, instead.”

 

_Cute,_ Beomgyu thought. At first glance, Soobin looked like the kind of guy who was intimidatingly cool and only hung out at high-end places. Then he remembered that Café Blanc wasn’t exactly the fanciest place around, despite its seemingly-cool name. Learning that Soobin didn’t even drink coffee was interesting, and it made him seem a lot more approachable. A lot more cute, too, but Beomgyu wouldn’t say it out loud, not so soon.

 

After Soobin got his hot chocolate and Beomgyu his iced caramel macchiato, the two of them talked for hours that passed by like minutes. They talked about music, and they talked about books and movies, and for the first time in a long time, Soobin didn’t worry about saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. He could talk freely, and casually, and he wasn’t so aware of every little thing that came out of his mouth. Beomgyu, too, found himself going on and on about whatever it was they decided to talk about, without feeling like Soobin was secretly uninterested. More often than not, he would end up stuck with someone who feigned interest to get on his good side, but this hadn’t been the case with Soobin.

 

Before either one of them knew it, it was time for them to get up and go. Soobin had to be home to cook dinner, and Beomgyu had to run a few errands before heading back. They figured out that they would be walking in the same direction for a bit, filling both their hearts up with a little more joy knowing that they didn’t exactly have to say goodbye yet.

 

"It was nice meeting you today," Beomgyu told him as they left the café. "It's been a long time since I last met someone who was so easy to talk to."

 

"Me too," Soobin replied sheepishly, hoping his flushed cheeks wouldn't give him away. "I'm not that good with talking to new people," he sighed. "I'm usually nervous and shy and scared of saying the wrong thing."

 

"Really?" Beomgyu asked, eyes widened and looking like the cutest person he's ever laid his eyes on. "You seem comfortable with me."

 

"I _am_ comfortable with you," Soobin answered. "I don't know why exactly, but I am."

 

"I'm glad to hear that," Beomgyu said, with a smile on his face that could light up the darkest corners of the universe. "I'm comfortable with you too. Most people see me at a show and talk to me but they're never genuine... They only want to get to know me to get to my bandmates, or because they think I'm cool for being in a band."

 

"I think you're cool for being in a band." Soobin said it nonchalantly, with his hands in the pockets of his jacket and his eyes looking up all around them. It was suppposed to be spring, but the weather didn't seem quite right. It was still too cold, and everything seemed a little too blue for it to be spring. It was still pretty, though, nonetheless. The trees still looked like they would protect you even without the need for their shade, and the sky still promised nice days ahead.

 

Beomgyu smirked at Soobin, looking up at the older and taller boy. Despite his age and height, Beomgyu thought Soobin had an innocent look to him—not innocent like he’s naive or anything, but more like he has a child-like wonder towards the world around him. This was something Beomgyu saw in the way Soobin looked up at the sky, at the trees around them. His eyes sparkled as though they had galaxies within them, and Beomgyu wondered if anyone had ever told Soobin about them before.

 

“Thanks,” Beomgyu replied after a few more moments of watching Soobin observe their surroundings with so much fascination. “See, when you say it, it sounds real, like you mean it. All the other people I’ve met—they just sound like they’re trying too hard to get me to like them.”

 

“I'm trying hard to get you to like me, too,” Soobin muttered under his breath, and seemingly to himself. It didn’t register in his mind exactly how close he was to Beomgyu, and he didn’t notice the other boy fighting back a smile and trying to cover up his reddened cheeks with his scarf.

 

“Anyway,” Beomgyu started, still busy adjusting his flimsy scarf. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at Café Blanc before today.”

 

“Yeah, that was—today was the first time I’ve been there. Normally I’d be at Noir instead.”

 

“I’ve heard of that place,” Beomgyu said. “I’ve never been there, though.”

 

Upon hearing that, an idea came into Soobin’s head. Once he thought of it, there was no sign of it leaving, so naturally, he decided to go ahead with it.

 

“Would you wanna go there with me someday?” he asked, already regretting it the moment the words leave his mouth, but at the same time, eager to hear Beomgyu’s response.

 

Beomgyu’s response was, in fact, worth being eager for. The younger boy immediately turned his head towards Soobin, eyes all bright and excited, and asked, “Are you asking me out on a date?”

 

Flustered, Soobin quickly denied it, not wanting to put either one of them in an awkward position—but Beomgyu’s face dropped the moment he heard Soobin say ‘no.’

 

“Oh, okay then,” he said, turning the other way again, and making Soobin slap himself mentally a few dozen times.

 

“I mean—it’s not a date if you don’t want it to be,” Soobin tried to clarify.

 

“Well, what do _you_ want it to be?” Beomgyu asked, once again looking up at Soobin, with his eyebrows raised teasingly. There was no stopping the sudden rush of blood in Soobin’s cheeks, and no hiding them either, which only made Beomgyu even more amused. He could get used to teasing Soobin a lot and more often if this was how he would react each time.

 

“I’m—I guess I’m asking you on a date?”

 

“You guess?” Beomgyu teased some more, making Soobin look redder than before.

 

“Oh my _god_ ,” he muttered, causing Beomgyu to chuckle at him. “I, Soobin, am asking you, Beomgyu, on a date,” Soobin said, firmly this time, so that there would be no more teasing and no more blushing and no more desperate attempts at trying to disguise his blatantly obvious crush.

 

“In that case, Soobin, I would _love_ to go to Noir with you,” Beomgyu said cheerfully. “Actually, I would go there with you even if it weren’t a date. I just wanted to hear you say that it was.”

 

Soobin could barely feel his face anymore, and he contemplated digging a hole in the nearest place he could find and just burying himself in it. His embarrassment was clear on his face, which only amused Beomgyu more, and it had him laughing and giggling. Seeing and hearing him laugh like that made Soobin think that maybe it wasn’t so bad, maybe he could endure being constantly teased like this—as long as it made Beomgyu happy.

 

“This is where we split, right?” Beomgyu asked, bringing Soobin back to reality. Without realizing, they were already at the point that marked the end of their walk home together. Soobin nodded quietly, a little reluctant to say goodbye so soon. “Are you busy, later tonight?”

 

“Wh—no. No, why?”

 

“Can I call you then?”

 

“Sure,” Soobin answered, trying to contain the hundreds of fluttering butterflies in his stomach. “You saved my number already, right?”

 

Beomgyu nodded quickly, prompting a soft smile from Soobin because of how cute he looked. “I’ll talk to you later, then.”

 

The two boys spent another minute or two awkwardly exchanging their goodbyes, neither one of them wanting to leave the other so soon. When they finally parted, they could hardly keep the smiles from coming, and somehow, in that moment, it felt like spring had truly, finally come.

 

—

 

After dinner, Soobin decided to spend a couple of hours working on his story. He had planned on finishing at least one chapter by the end of the day, but that obviously didn’t happen seeing as how he had been so occupied with his newfound crush.

 

Thinking of Beomgyu, Soobin’s cheeks instinctively turned red. It’s true that he blushed easily, but he was starting to think it happened far too many times to be normal. _Maybe I should go see a doctor,_ he thought, momentarily distracted by the possibility of having a medical condition that made him blush so much. He’s heard of it before, possibly from a TV show he’s seen, but he wasn’t sure if it was a real condition or a fictional one.

 

Before he could go on a web-searching spree, Soobin’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his ringtone. He was confused at first—no one ever calls him, and especially not at night—until he remembered Beomgyu’s request to call him earlier that day.

 

“Hi,” he greeted, shy and self-conscious about the way his voice sounded on the phone. Did he sound alright? Was his voice annoying? Did he even sound remotely like he does in real life? Soobin couldn’t help but to think of all these questions, and they lingered in his head even as new questions came up.

 

“Hey,” Beomgyu answered, and at that moment, all the pesky and intruding thoughts left Soobin’s mind immediately. “Were you in the middle of doing something?”

 

“Just trying to write,” Soobin replied. “Can’t really think of the right words, though. I think I’m gonna be stuck on this for a few days.”

 

“Funny,” Beomgyu said. “I’ve been trying to write the lyrics to a song for the past couple of hours but nothing’s coming up for me either. Not the right things, at least. I ended up writing an entirely different song than the one I had planned.”

 

“What’s the song about?” Soobin asked, curious. He’s never known anyone personally who wrote songs, so he’s never known the process behind them, not in detail. Plus, he was starting to worry that he and Beomgyu might run out of things to talk about within minutes, so it seemed like asking about his song would be a nice way to start their conversation.

 

“It was supposed to be about winter, but it ended up being about spring instead,” Beomgyu sighed. “And a boy.”

 

“A boy?”

 

“Yeah,” he paused. “There’s this boy who’s like the personification of spring. I can’t get him out of my mind.”

 

“Really?” Soobin prompted. He could feel his heartbeat accelerate, knowing that it had to be him, but at the same time he’s unsure. Was he really the personification of spring? He had always thought of himself to be more like autumn. “Tell me more about this spring boy.”

 

“Sure,” Beomgyu started, and Soobin could practically hear the smirk in his voice. “I just met this guy today, and he’s sweet and shy. Talks a lot about the things he likes. He looks kinda scary at first but then once you spend some time with him, you realize he’s the most adorable person in the world. He has a dog, if I remember correctly, and his eyes widen and he looks extra-cute when he talks about him. He looks at his surroundings like he’s seeing it for the first time. He has dimples, too—also really cute.”

 

It took everything in Soobin not to squeal and giggle, and with every word that came out of Beomgyu’s mouth, it got harder to control himself. He hated how giddy he felt, the same way he hated how much he liked hearing Beomgyu talk about him like that. “He sounds like a nice guy but—no offense, but that sounds like a messy song,” Soobin joked, and Beomgyu laughed on the other side.

 

“It would be, if I wrote all those things specifically,” Beomgyu agreed. “But the lyrics itself are entirely different. For the lyrics, I wrote about things like his smile that’s like the sun, and his warmth that melts away the cold of winter—stuff like that.”

 

“You’re quite the poet, aren’t you?”

 

“Not usually, no… but I figured that being poetic would make it easier to get this one writer’s attention.”

 

“You have _my_ attention.”

 

Beomgyu wasn’t expecting to hear that. He had secretly hoped for that kind of reaction, but he didn’t think Soobin would actually say something like that, and with so much confidence. He himself had been painfully obvious—on purpose, of course—that the spring boy was Soobin, but he thought Soobin might have kept up the banter a bit longer.

 

“That means my plan worked.”

 

Soobin’s heart was out-racing all the fastest spaceships in the universe with the rate it was beating at now, and all he could feel in that moment was pure, unadulterated happiness. Was this the beginning of love? He didn’t want to jinx it so early on like this, but that’s what he hoped for. He could love Beomgyu easily and effortlessly; he could go on like this forever.

 

“Beomgyu,” Soobin sighed.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I know we just met, and this is insane, but I miss you already. I want to see you again, quickly.”

 

It took Beomgyu a few seconds to reply, because of how flustered he was by the sudden confession, and how casually Soobin had said it. “Then let’s meet,” he suggested, mostly expecting Soobin to brush it off and say that it’s late and that they should meet some other time instead—mostly for the sake of his own health, not because he was expecting Soobin to reject him. It seemed like they were past the point ofbrushing off each other’s advances in an attempt to be low-key. In fact, they were anything _but_ low-key already.

 

“Alright, then. Let’s meet.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiiii!!! i'm finally back with an update after 2 and a half months (!)
> 
> i'm so so so so so sorry for keeping anyone waiting, and thank you so much to everyone who left comments and for being patient with me. i just haven't been in the mood to continue writing this fic, but i really didn't want to give up on it. thankfully, i'm finally able to bring you guys chapter 2!
> 
> hopefully, chapter 3 (and all future chapters) won't take me another 2 and a half months hhhh
> 
> i hope you like it, and let me know what you think in the comments^^

It was a little after 10pm, so the walk from Soobin’s house to the playground was cool and quiet, but not quiet enough to make him painfully aware of how many thoughts were going through his head. The thoughts were still there, buzzing around, but it wasn’t the only thing Soobin could hear. There were students, probably around his age, give or take a couple of years, walking around and chatting and laughing. They seemed to be having a great time, each of them in small groups, and it made Soobin just a tiny bit jealous. He didn’t have that many friends, only Yeonjun and Huening Kai, and that was only because Huening Kai had manipulated Yeonjun into befriending him (Soobin was new to the neighborhood at the time, and Huening Kai convinced Yeonjun to take him under his wing).

 

Sometimes it’s sad, when Soobin remembers that he only has them, but he’s always grateful. Yeonjun and Huening Kai both helped him grow in so many ways, even though Yeonjun is only a year older, and Huening Kai two years younger. They were the ones who managed to persuade Soobin’s family into letting him move out after graduating high school, and that in itself lifted a great burden off of Soobin’s shoulders. He loves his family, but he’s the youngest, and still treated like a baby even though he’s already in college. It’s inevitable, especially since he’s a lot younger than the rest of his siblings, but it felt stifling at times. Like he would only ever be the baby of the family, and nothing else—that’s partly why he’s so thankful for his friends. They let him be more than that.

 

The playground Soobin and Beomgyu had decided to meet at was only a twelve-minute walk for Soobin—ten if he walked a little more quickly—and with each step, he could feel his heart race faster and faster. He had been uncharacteristically bold earlier on the phone, which he’s starting to regret. Beomgyu would probably be expecting a fearless and flirty Soobin to see him, and Soobin couldn’t even begin to imagine how disappointed Beomgyu would be when he realizes Soobin is just as bumbling and shy as he was prior to the phone call, the way he always is. Still, Soobin was excited to see Beomgyu again so soon, and he could barely contain this excitement when he finally reached the playground and found someone sitting on one of the swings, facing the other way.

 

“Sorry I’m a bit late, I got distracted on the way here,” Soobin said, slowly approaching the figure; heart pounding so hard and so fast it felt like the whole world could hear it. “Did you wait long?”

 

“Soobin?” a voice called, and it sounded exactly like Beomgyu—except, it wasn’t coming for the person in front of Soobin. Confused, and somewhat frightened, Soobin quickly turned around, and there Beomgyu was, looking equally as confused. _But if this is Beomgyu—then who was the person I was just talking to…?_

 

Soobin turned back around to look at the supposed stranger he had just greeted, and his cheeks filled with color when the stranger waved at a girl who was slowly making her way over. Flustered and embarrassed, Soobin quickly turned to Beomgyu, eyes pleading for help. Beomgyu tried to stop himself from laughing so loudly, and grabbed Soobin by the wrist to drag him a little further away, where they would have more privacy, and where Soobin wouldn’t have to worry so much about the previous situation.

 

The playground wasn’t very familiar to Soobin, and as he let himself be dragged away by Beomgyu, he found himself wondering how many acres of land does the playground take up. It felt like they had been walking for ages when they finally reached the other, far much quieter side, with another swing set sitting in front of them.

 

Beomgyu wasted no time and sat himself on one of the swings, patting the one next to him eagerly when he saw that Soobin was stunned and silent. “Come on, sit,” he called, shaking Soobin out of his reverie. Beomgyu had so many questions about the things that went through Soobin’s mind, and he wanted to know every little thing about him. With anyone else, he’d just ask about anything and everything, but with Soobin, it felt like it would be better if he waited for Soobin to open up instead.

 

Soobin made himself comfortable in the swing next to Beomgyu, or at least, he tried to, which made Beomgyu break into laughter again. “Is everything I do really that funny?” Soobin sighed, feeling the warmth spread to his cheeks. “Do I look like a clown to you?”

 

“You’re just so cute,” Beomgyu answered. “The cutest clown I’ve ever met,” he teased, and the fake-offended look on Soobin’s face made him laugh even more. “I never knew someone so tall and intimidating could ever be this cute.”

 

“Is that so?” Soobin questioned. “You think I’m intimidating?”

 

“You’re supposed to ask about the cute part, not the intimidating part,” Beomgyu grumbled. “But yes, I thought you were _very_ intimidating. I told you earlier that you look kinda scary.”

 

“Really? You were serious about that? It didn’t seem like it,” Soobin pondered. “You seemed pretty chill talking to me after I approached you out of the blue.”

 

Beomgyu scoffed and rolled his eyes, and although Soobin usually got mildly annoyed whenever Yeonjun or Huening Kai did it, for some reason, he felt incredibly endeared instead. “People can find you intimidating without being obviously intimidated, you know.”

 

“That does not make sense to me but okay.”

 

“Well, it makes sense to a lot of other people, especially to me—I’m like that with a lot of people,” Beomgyu continued. “Besides, even though you did kinda scare me, I wasn’t going to let a pretty stranger slip away just like that.”

 

“You-you think I’m pretty?” Soobin asked shyly, knowing very well he couldn’t hide how flustered he was.

 

“The prettiest,” Beomgyu replied, eyes looking up at the sky and not at Soobin, but only because he was trying his best to hide how flustered _he_ was as well.

 

If Beomgyu were being honest, he was rarely like this. He flirted with a lot of different people a lot of different times, but he’s always kept his cool. Maybe it’s because none of it ever meant anything, and maybe that’s why it’s so hard with Soobin, because this time, it meant something. This time, Beomgyu genuinely liked Soobin, and he didn’t want to ruin anything or scare him away. Even though they had only just met, Soobin was already someone Beomgyu felt to be important in his life. There was an air of familiarity, and a sense of comfort that he found when he talked to Soobin that was different from a lot of the people he already knew.

 

“Do you always come here?” Soobin asked, turning to look at Beomgyu, who still had his eyes on the dark sky. There were hardly any stars to be seen, one of the things that came with living in a city as big and bright as Seoul, but at least the moon was there, bigger and brighter than any city could ever be.

 

“Sometimes,” Beomgyu whispered, almost as though the stars were asleep and he didn’t want to wake them up from their slumber. “Most of the time I don’t plan on coming here, though. I just walk and walk, and somehow I end up here. Sometimes I end up at the convenience store though.”

 

“The convenience store?”

 

“Yeah,” Beomgyu nodded. “Sometimes I get hungry in the middle of the night and there’s no food at home, so I go to the convenience store.”

 

Soobin breathed out a sigh of relief, making Beomgyu look at him all puzzled. “I thought you had some sort of emotional attachment to the convenience store or something… like in Heathers.”

 

Beomgyu burst into a loud fit of laughter, and the sweet sound filled up every inch of space around them. It’s the only thing Soobin could hear, and the heart-fluttering look on Beomgyu’s face was the only thing he could see. Even the moon, so bright and high in the sky, suddenly seemed so small, and Soobin thought maybe that glowing disk in the sky wasn’t the moon after all. Maybe the real moon was on Earth, sitting right next to him on that swing set, laughing his heart out and filling Soobin with so much happiness in such an ordinary moment.

 

If he could pick one moment in his life to live in forever, that would be it.

 

“Does that mean I’m the Jason Dean to your Veronica Sawyer?” Beomgyu quipped after calming down a bit, but he was still a little breathless from before. Soobin was still breathless too, but from how beautiful Beomgyu was. It looked like he glowed, and he was brighter than the dull streetlights that lit up the night (or maybe Soobin was just convincing himself that Beomgyu really was the human embodiment of the moon).

 

“I’d prefer if neither one of us were J.D. _or_ Veronica Sawyer,” Soobin said. “I like you, and I just met you, but I’m not really planning on murdering anyone with you.”

 

“You’d be a terrible partner-in-crime anyway,” Beomgyu scoffed.

 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about—I would be an _incredible_ partner-in-crime,” Soobin stated matter-of-factly. “But how do I know you won’t double-cross me?”

 

“Oh, come on, Soobin… would a face like this really ever hurt you?” Beomgyu pouted, tilting his head like a puppy and making Soobin’s heart race a million miles a second.

 

“I hope not,” Soobin whispered, and somehow, the very moment those words left his lips, the atmosphere became a lot more serious than it was before. Soobin slapped himself mentally, wondering why he always had to make things go all wrong like this.

 

“I won’t, Soobin,” Beomgyu said firmly. “I like you. I don’t want to mess things up with you.”

 

“I like you too—and I don’t want to mess things up with you either.”

 

“Then, let’s both promise that we won’t hurt each other. We’re just getting to know each other, but let’s both be honest, and talk to each other about anything, whether it’s silly stuff or serious stuff… whatever it is, we’ll be there for each other. Promise?”

 

Beomgyu raised his littlest finger, asking for a pinky promise to seal the deal, and Soobin complied.

 

“There,” Beomgyu said. “We promised each other, so we have to keep our promises.”

 

Soobin nodded his head quietly, truthfully at a loss for words. He thought it was cute that they made a pinky promise, and that the concept of pinky promises seemed to suit Beomgyu perfectly—but he also thought about what exactly they promised each other. Was it really something they could confidently do? Soobin wasn’t so sure, but there was no point in voicing out his worries when they had already made the promise. He would just have to hope that they would stay like this, teasing and joking and overall, just comfortable in each other’s presence. He would just have to believe that the universe was on his side this time.

 

“Psst.”

 

Soobin turned to look at Beomgyu, who was already looking at him. The previously serious look on Beomgyu’s face had already been replaced by a mischievous one instead, with a matching glint in his eyes, and somehow Soobin knew that the night had barely just begun for them.

 

“You already had dinner, right?” Beomgyu asked, a little hesitant.

 

“I did, but I’m actually feeling a little peckish right about now,” Soobin said. “Let’s go to the convenience store you were talking about.”

 

At that, a bright and beautiful smile appeared on Beomgyu’s face, and that made Soobin smile too.

 

“Race you to the edge of the playground,” Soobin challenged.

 

“You’re on,” Beomgyu laughed. He was prepared to sprint right past Soobin, and leave the older boy behind—after all, Beomgyu _was_ the competitive type—but then, a sudden thought made him change his mind.

 

At the last second, Beomgyu grabbed Soobin by the wrist and they both took off running. Running and running, so fast it almost felt like flying. Soobin thought that maybe they _were_ flying; maybe Beomgyu had sprinkled something like stardust on them both to make it possible. It didn’t matter, whatever it was, because the only thing that remained in his thoughts was that he was having the time of his life, and he was just running. Running across a playground, with a boy he really liked by his side, and he was so happy he felt like he was flying.

 

Soobin wondered if he was allowed to be that happy, and he wished to the sleeping stars and the glowing sky disk to always let him be that happy.


End file.
